Ideas for stories pop up in all sorts of situations - and sometimes it makes sense to alter the facts for the sake of the plot. After all, that's what authors aim to do - craft stories to delight their readers. In my latest book, Red Roses and other romantic stories, I've included a brief introduction to each story to give some background for the reader that might enhance their reading experience. In this month's blog I'm revealing some more detailed information about one - The Gift. The story begins in the present day, when an eighteen-year-old girl is given a book of Russian piano music by her teacher. Inside is an inscription: To Cecilia from Nancy, Christmas 1914. She wonders who these people were, and we are then carried back in time to World War I, a tale unfolding from the time Nancy gives the piano album to her friend Cecilia for Christmas. The story was inspired by a similar situation in my past. I was in my final year at school and preparing for my Grade 8 piano exam, when my piano teacher gave me that very Album Russe to use as practice for the sight reading test - not my strongest point in those days! I grew to love many of these pieces over the years, especially Rubinstein's Romance in E flat. Click here to watch a performance of this beautiful piece.

What I found really intriguing was the copperplate handwritten inscription inside the cover - To Cecelia from Nancy, October 1919. Every time I opened the book I wondered what their story was. In the end I delved into my imagination and began to write, but changed the date of the inscription for dramatic effect. I could have written a story set in the 1920s, but instead I chose to set the drama during a time of turbulence. A youthful friendship became fraught with secrets and overshadowed with the difficulties of a dreadful war. The centenary of this conflict coincided with the revision of The Gift and the publication of my short story anthology, so it was fortuitous that I had chosen that setting for the story.

December Books:

Only one this month - preparations for the festive season meant less time for reading, and only one book stood out.

Rachel Hore - The House on Bellevue Gardens

The house in the title is owned by Leonie, formerly a fashion model in nineeteen sixties London. Her house has been a haven for various people in times of difficulty. As the plot unfolds in the present day and new people arrive at Bellevue Gardens, Leonie finds she has an overwhelming dilemma as the house proves to be under threat. We also get glimpses of Leonie's life in the swinging sixties. Running through the story is the image of a bird trapped in the chimney, somehow echoing the themes of the book. As the characters work through their troubles, Leonie is desparate to keep the home they all love. Well-written, absorbing, an excellent read.